Basbousa

Ingredients

Cake

• 400 gcoarse semolina
• 150 gcaster sugar
• 100 gdesiccated coconut (optional)
• 1 tspbaking powder
• 250 gplain yogurt
• 150 gbutter or ghee, melted
• 1 tspvanilla or 1 tbsp rose water

Syrup

• 400 gsugar
• 300 mlwater
• 1 tbsplemon juice
• 1 tbsprose or orange-blossom water

To finish

• about 16 blanched almonds
• 1 tbsptahini or butter, for the tin

Directions

1. Make the syrup first and let it cool completely. Boil the sugar and water 10 minutes, add the lemon juice, boil 2 minutes more, take off the heat and stir in the blossom water. Hot cake, cold syrup is the rule for every semolina cake of this family.
2. Mix the semolina, sugar, coconut and baking powder, then stir in the yogurt and melted butter to a thick, scoopable batter.
3. Rest it 30 minutes. The semolina swells and absorbs the liquid, and this is what gives basbousa its dense sandy crumb instead of a gritty one.
4. Grease a 23 cm square tin with tahini — the traditional choice, and it stops sticking better than butter.
5. Spread the batter in and smooth the top with a wet hand. Score it into diamonds or squares now, cutting right through to the base, and press an almond into the centre of each piece.
6. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 35–40 minutes until deep golden brown at the edges and firm in the centre. Basbousa should be well coloured; a pale one tastes raw.
7. Take it out and immediately pour the cold syrup evenly over the hot cake. It will hiss and look like far too much liquid. Leave it.
8. Let it stand at least 2 hours to absorb everything, then cut along the scored lines. It is better the next day.

Technique

• Coarse semolina, not fine. Fine semolina gives a cake-like texture rather than the characteristic grain.
• Score before baking, not after. Cutting a baked basbousa tears it and the syrup pools unevenly.
• Cold syrup onto hot cake. The other way round and it sits on the surface as a wet layer.

Substitutions

• Milk plus a tablespoon of lemon juice replaces the yogurt.
• Ghee for butter, which gives the more traditional aroma.

Variations

• Namoura in Lebanon, harissa in Alexandria, revani in Turkey and Greece — the same cake under different names.
• A version with a layer of clotted cream (ashta) baked into the middle.

History

Semolina soaked in sugar syrup; the same cake travelled the Ottoman world under names like revani and namoura, but the Egyptian name spread widest.

Frequently asked questions

What is Basbousa?

Basbousa is a dessert from Egypt: semolina cake soaked in syrup, topped with almonds. Semolina soaked in sugar syrup; the same cake travelled the Ottoman world under names like revani and namoura, but the Egyptian name spread widest.

How long does Basbousa take to make?

Basbousa takes 20 min plus 30 min resting of preparation and 40 min of cooking. The recipe makes 16 pieces. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Basbousa?

Yes, within limits. Milk plus a tablespoon of lemon juice replaces the yogurt. Ghee for butter, which gives the more traditional aroma.

What is the most important thing to get right in Basbousa?

Rest it 30 minutes. The semolina swells and absorbs the liquid, and this is what gives basbousa its dense sandy crumb instead of a gritty one.